Mrs. Claus' List

Today's Task: Start your Shopping List!

Everyone knows it's more effective to shop with a list! You spend less and resist more. Shopping trips become more productive, saving you save both time and money.

So grab a pad of paper or print out a shopping list and start writing down the holiday items you need to purchase.

Here's some printable lists:
Delightful Shopping List
organizedchristmas.com / Christmas Shopping List

Begin by writing down the supplies needed for your homemade gifts!

Here's a few more fabulous homemade gift ideas: (thanks Danee for the great tip)
Fabric Key Chain
Brown Sugar Body Scrub
Vinyl Projects
Giver's Guide

Envelops

Here's what we've done so far with our Christmas cards:

• Update Address List


• Find/Schedule Christmas Picture
  
  
• Christmas Letter
  
  
• Purchase/Create Christmas Cards

Today's Task is Print Envelops or address labels.

Home-made Gift Ideas

Home-made gifts are so much fun to give!
There's not many things that top giving a friend something you've created!
However, handmade gifts take time, effort and a lot of creative energy.

If you want to have energy in December to enjoy the things that matter most -finish up those homemade gifts early!

Here are some of my favorite links & ideas:

Cooking:
Home baked bread or rolls, include recipe
Muffin mixes with muffin pan
Cake Balls -YUM!
Make Sugar cookies, put them in cute pizza boxes, and provide frosting and sprinkles in cute wrapped packaging. Then each family could spend sometime together decorating their own cookies
White Chocolate Popcorn
Homemade cookie mix with instructions for baking
Pancake or waffle mix and a bottle of real maple syrup

Crafting:
Nativity
Red Plate
Napkins and napkin rings Check these holly napkin rings out!
Stepping Stones

Sewing:
Oven Mitt
Easy Apron



Quick "Semi - Homemade" Gifts:
Roll up a fleece blanket and tie with a box. “FLEECE” Navidad!
Pound of pistachios “We are Nuts about YOU”
Journal with special inscription inside
Gardening gloves with a plant or flower seeds
Fancy chocolate bars tied with a ribbon
Note cards and book of stamps
Flashlight with batteries or other emergency preparedness items

So, plan ahead and see what homemade gifts you can create this year! You might surprise everyone, including yourself!

Happy Day!

A Christmas Thought

A wise man once said:

"There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ. It is the time to love the Lord our God with all our heart—and our neighbors as ourselves."

"If we are to have the best Christmas ever, we must follow in the Savior’s footsteps... He “went about doing good.” As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours. "

To catch the real meaning of the “spirit of Christmas,” we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the “Spirit of Christ.”

Today's Task: Ask Yourself - What would Jesus have me do this Christmas?

Take Inventory

I remember stocking up on a bunch of Christmas paraphernalia during the the "after-Christmas sales" last year. The trouble is I can't remember what items I purchased!

Today's task: Find out what you already have!

Go go on a scavenger hunt ...
in your attic, basement, or closets, and under the beds.
Find those Christmas treasures you've been storing up for a year (or years).
Take inventory of what you already have and take note of the items you need.

Checking your supply not only saves you time and money,
but you'll feel great using the things you already have!

89 more days!

Carve out a Corner!

Today I'm de-cluttering in my bedroom closet to make room for a large rubbermaid container!

Storing the Christmas gifts for my hubby and kiddos, in my closet, has been a tradition for years. The boyz have never peeked (as far as I know). I've told them since they were teeny guys that if they wanted to look and spoil the surprise of Christmas - it's up to them. It's been fun to watch them remind each other to stay away from mom's closet!

Where do you store your gifts?


Today's Task: Grab an OPAQUE plastic bin and CARVE out a place to store your Christmas Surprises!

Card Formats

What type of cards do you want to send this year? There's regular greeting cards, picture cards computer generated & home-made.

Today's task is to make a decision about the format and take some steps to purchase/order/or create your cards!

If you purchased your cards during the "After-Christmas" Sales LAST year then you are ahead of the game!

Going home-made this year? Be sure to purchase your supplies this week and get started!

Here's a few great sites to order picture cards.

shutterfly will even send your cards out for you - for a fee

I love all the different card choices at the Hallmark site - even newsletters!

Cosco is so easy and has a ton of different postccards to choose from - just drag & drop your pic.

Season Greetings

Are you including a Family Letter this year?
This is something you can complete very early!

Task #9: Start your Christmas Letter!

Here's my TOP FIVE ways to share!

• Newsletter - Programs like Microsoft Publisher make this easy!
  
  
• CD or DVD slideshow - Choose a favorite song or a Christmas carol and add photos for a fun way to share images of your year.
  
  
• Top 10 list - Dave Letterman style.
  
  
• Photo Update - Create a page of photos printed from your computer. Make the photos different shapes and sizes and use captions to tell about things that happened to your family throughout the year.
  
  
• A New Perspective - Try writing your letter from the perspective of your child, another family member, your neighbors, a pet, or any other person that could give your letter a fresh new outlook. Better yet-have your child write the letter for you!
  

92 more days!

Cheese!

Do you want to include a picture or order a picture postcard this year?

The great thing about starting this early is you have the time to make sure you have a great picture to share with your friends and family.

Today's Task: Take steps toward finding or taking the right picture

*ask a friend to take a Christmas picture - try to calendar it now. OR
*set an appointment with a professional photographer OR
choose a picture you've already taken - summer vacation etc. - order enough copies.


There are a TON of ideas on the internet - here are a few of my favorites:

I got these pics here http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf988253.tip.html

Here's a few more that made me smile!

"last year-our children ages- twin 1y/o, a 2 1/2y/o and 5y/o all lined up in front of the tree. I took the picture up close of their faces. Since our home is quite busy and loud, the caption read: Silent Night, Yeah Right! people loved it! "

"One year, a friend of mine took her family to the beach. They wrote "Merry Christmas" in the sand and the family sat behind it. The photographer took the picture facing them and the words. It was really nice looking. They all wore white shirts and jeans and it was all in black and white, but Christmas colored outfits would be nice, too. It is great for all ages. "

BUT, here's my favorite (hee hee)

Smiles,

Return to Sender?

Got your binder divided.
Got your supplies purchased.
Got your list writed, written.
You are well on your way to this:

In the mean time, here's your next task:

Start or Update your Christmas Card ADDRESS List!

Here's a few tips:

• If you haven't done it already, you might want to think about typing your address list on your computer. If you have Microsoft Word - it's really easy! Just click on the Tools and then click on mail merge and it will guide you thru the process.


• As you receive a Christmas Cards from a friend whose address changed - stash the envelop into your Christmas binder and update your list when you can.


• Simplify by reducing the size of your list!
  

Happy Monday! 94 more days

What Matters Most

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas - let's focus on what matter's most! Click on the picture below to see a short clip that reminds us just what that is. Although it comes from the church I attend, it's message applies to all!

Task # 6: Cherish those you hold dear!

NO Stress and a few Supplies

I've noticed a couple comments from some good friends (you know who you are!) that JUST HEARING that Christmas coming stresses them out! Believe me, I KNOW what that's all about - that is exactly why I do this countdown every year!

I want to take away that nauseated-anxiety-overwhelmed,"stay-in-bed-with-the-covers-over-your-head" feeling OUT of Christmas and REPLACE it with feelings of anticipation, excitement & peace .

Let's get the ESSENTIAL busies over-with so we can have time to take advantage of the season, to make good memories, spend quality time with family and friends, and teach my children about Christ and serving others!

Instead of being stressed and overwhelmed, CHOOSE to use your energy to grab a binder, jot down who you are going to give gifts to this year and pat yourself on the back - YOU and your family are going to have a wonderful peaceful Christmas this year!

TASK #5:
If your out in the stores this weekend - pick up a few supplies and stash them in a "secure location" in your home. (if you have kids or hubbies - you know what i mean about a secure location - HIDE the supplies or they'll disappear :0) ).


Here's what I like to stock up on:

Paper Goods
Scotch Tape
Scissors (if yours are already missing)
Mailing Tape
Printer Cartridges
Printer Paper
Cardstock for tags & things

Any more ideas?
96 more days

Making A List!

TODAY's Task: Write out a Gift List!

This is a REALLY important task, because even though we aren't supposed to focus on presents - PLANNING, SHOPPING, and WRAPPING gifts are one of the biggest parts of a MOM's Christmas.

Start by brainstorming on a blank piece of paper.
List everyone you might need to give a gift this Christmas. Include family members, neighbors, housekeepers (I wish), co-workers, teachers, visiting teachees....

It's important to include everyone - even if your not exactly giving them a gift (maybe just some goodies). That way you get a REAL PICTURE of your Christmas to-do's. We've got to be REALISTIC about our time, money and effort.

NOW that you've made the list - let's organize it!
(did you know you could organize a list?)

Here's how:
Use different colors of highlighters to group your "giftees" into categories:

Highlight immediate family in one color.

Highlight gifts to be mailed in another color

Highlight all the people your giving goodies

Highlight any other groups you find....

If you find your list is way too long then simplify by CROSSING some off or at least tranferring a few from your gift list to your card list! Remember each name you cross of your gift list means one less gift to buy, make, or spend your time and money on. We want to spend our precious resources on those that are closest to us.

When you have your list ready - transfer it to one of those CUTE lists we printed off yesterday or create your own on the computer to be used year after year.

Here's the list I use for my immediate family: Joy's Family Christmas List

97 more days!

P.S. Guess what I just discovered? We are not the only ones working on 100 days till Christmas!! If fact there is website called 100 Days to Christmas - isn't that amazing? You can click on the pic to check it out. They are working on Christmas Planners too!

Get it in Print!

Todays task is to PRINT OUT pages for your Planner.

To make it quick and easy, just click on the links:

• Gift Lists : Christmas Gift Planner and OrganizedChristmas printables

• Christmas Card List
  Click here for a Holiday Mailing List
  
  
• Traditions
  Family Fun Traditions
  OrganizedChristmas Tradition Tracker
  Traditions and Memories
  
• Budget
  OrganizedChristmas Budget
  Holiday Spending Planner
  Christmas Budget Planner
  
• On-Line/Catalog Shopping
  Gift Order Tracker
  Online Shopping List
  
  Here's a whole planner you can print out in one shot - click HERE

HAPPY PRINTING!

Divide & Conquer

This countdown is all about NOT being stressed - it’s about doing a little each day so the Christmas hustle doesn't take over your entire life.

Yesterday you carved out a spot for your holiday organizing and added a binder.

Today: Turn your binder it into a “Christmas Planner” by adding dividers and some blank paper.

Your Christmas planner is where you’ll be making your lists and checking them a lot more than twice! Make it a habit to use your Christmas binder instead of scratch paper, napkins, or even the back of receipts to write notes on. Keep it in a handy place so that it will be easy to grab. The dividers will keep your info accessible and make it easy to use.

My dividers are:

• Gift Lists
• Supplies
• Christmas Cards/Mailing List
• Decorations
• Food (Holiday Menu's & Recipes, including treats!)
• Traditions
• Projects
• Budget (my least favorite one) A manila folder can be hole punched and added to the back of your binder for receipts.
  
  

Other divider ideas are parties, children’s activities, calendar section or personal sections for each family member.

If you have some extra time today – you might want to jot down any Christmas ideas that have been swirling around in your head. Starting the Christmas Countdown often makes my BRAIN start tossing ideas around. Things like gifts and treats I want to make or decorations and crafts supplies I want to buy. Getting ideas on paper helps us be more realistic about our time and money.

En-JOY Your Binder!